CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2024
| Author | Zhai, Jiaru |
|---|---|
| Title | The Golden Times of Nvshu: The Images of Women from the Nineteenth to the Twentieth Centuries in Nvshu Literature |
| Summary | This thesis approaches the image of women in Jiangyong Nüshu from the nineteenth to the twentieth centuries. In the past women's history, the greatest impediment to the study of authentic female historical narratives often lies in the portrayals of women crafted from a non-first-person perspective. The true depictions of women inhabit the interstices of mainstream historical discourse, stemming from the historically disadvantaged status of women, rendering them relegated to the margins of historical representation. The purpose of this thesis is to uncover the voices of women and to explore the mobility and agency exerted by Jiangyong women through Nüshu literature. It argues that Jiangyong women utilized Nüshu writing to navigate and redefine the gendered spaces within their society. Despite the constraints of traditional feudal cultural norms, these women leveraged their unique geographical and cultural resources to create their own social spaces. By employing these spaces, they challenged local gender norms and found their places within the social structure. Through the lens of gendered writing, it is essential to abandon the notion of these women as passive, uniform victims. The precious Nüshu works reveal the bold and free-spirited writings of Jiangyong women, offering valuable information for understanding their views on personal life, cultural activities, and political struggles. |
| Supervisor | Nadia Al-Bagdadi |
| Department | History MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2024/zhai_jiaru.pdf |
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